MiR-150 and miR-155 expression predicts survival of cervical cancer patients: a translational approach to novel prognostic biomarkers

Introduction: High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is the aetiological agent of cervical cancer, which remains the fourth leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. K14-HPV16 transgenic mice are a model for HPV-induced cancers, which undergo multistep squamous carcinogenesis at the skin, that is histologically and molecularly similar to carcinogenesis of the human cervix. Previous screens of differentially regulated microRNAs (miRs) using K14-HPV16 mice showed a role for miR-21, miR-155, miR-150, miR-146a, miR-125b and miR-223 during carcinogenesis. Methods: We now aim to translate these observations into the clinical setting, using data provided by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to explore whether those microRNAs can influence the survival of cervical cancer patients. Results: Results showed that low miR-150, miR-155 and miR-146a expression levels in primary tumours were associated with poor overall survival. However, only miR-150 and miR-155 were found to be independent predictors, increasing the risk of death. When patients were stratified by clinical stage, low miR-150, miR-155, miR-146a and miR-125b were associated with poor survival for clinical stages I and II. Only low miR-150 expression increased the death risk. Conclusion: We conclude that miR-150 and miR-155 may be potentially applied as prognostic biomarkers in cervical cancer patients. However, further investigation is required to determine their applicability.